NEWS

At the end of October, Nintendo announced their next generation system – the Nintendo Switch.

The console looked to combine the base device with mobile functionality. Although the Wii U had a separate hand-held device, the choice to move to mobile was a deviation from the previous iteration in that you still could not remove the Wii U from your house. (In my house, I couldn’t even get it to connect from the bedroom – which was immediately above the living room.) If you wanted to game on the go, you still needed a Nintendo DS.

Jimmy Fallon surprised audiences on The Tonight Show with a demo of the new console, as well as previewed Nintendo’s latest game “Super Mario Run.”

The machine is here. Everything is here. The games are here. And you can play it on your TV, you can take it on the go. Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America President

Fallon expressed unmitigated enthusiasm for the device while playing the latest “Legend of Zelda” game on a television as tall as he is.

It’s three consoles in one console. I’m freaking out … This is a game changer. Thank you Reggie! This is a game changer! Jimmy Fallon

Fallon also demoed “Super Mario Run,” a new game slated for release on Dec. 15 in North America for iOS and Android. “Super Mario Run” is a platformer and with the graphics style of “Super Mario World.”

Between the mobility of the Switch, Nintendo appears to be switching its strategy from the long-term tradition of at-home consoles which could connect players in the same room. Although Nintendo has a long-standing history with releasing mobile devices for their games, the difference between mobile consoles and mobile devices matter. Players no longer have to actually own a Nintendo-specific device to play “Super Mario Run,” meaning universal access amongst smartphone users.

As we sit here today, literally multiple billions of smart devices are out there in the marketplace ... in places like India, throughout parts of Europe, parts of South America where we don't have a robust dedicated console business. So it really is a different type of opportunity, arguably a mainstream opportunity, that we're looking at now. Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America President